How to Edit in Adobe AuditionIf you're working in another Adobe program like Premiere Pro, it's easy to import audio and perform quick edits in Audition. Just choose "Edit" > "Edit in Adobe Audition", and the clip will be rendered in Audition as an editable .wav. This is a copy of the original audio, so any edits you make are non-destructive.

This feature also works with audio sequences. Choose "Edit" > "Edit Sequence in Audition", and Premiere will copy the selected sequence as a rendered audio file. In the Edit in Adobe Audition dialog box, you can specify the audio selection, clip effects, track effects, and more.

Using a CompressorTo deal with variations in volume during an audio clip, you can add a compressor effect to make the volume more consistent. First, find the Effects Rack and click on the arrow next to the track that needs compression. From the list of effects, choose "Amplitude and Compression" > "Single-band Compressor".

Start by selecting a preset, and then tweak the various compression settings. Adjust the Threshold level until it's just above the average volume, so that it clamps down on the occasional peaks. For more extreme compression, you can raise the Ratio, so that every dB passing over the Threshold will be reduced by a larger amount.

Finally, you can adjust the Attack and Release to determine how long it takes for the Compressor to kick in, and then release. In many cases, the compression will reduce your track's overall volume. You may need to increase the Output Gain as a result.

Using a LimiterIf you need to reduce some unpleasant peaks in an audio track, but don't want to boost the overall volume, you can try a Hard Limiter. This effect is also found under the "Amplitude and Compression" category. Similar to Threshold, the Maximum Amplitude setting acts as a brick wall for your audio, and nothing will exceed it. However, any more than a few dB of limiting will have a negative effect on audio quality, so use it conservatively.